Ciabatta French Toast with Warm Apple Maple Syrup

Moist yet crusty ciabatta and nutty Gruyère cheese set this dish apart from traditional French toast. A vegetable peeler works great for getting thin slices out of the cheese. Rome or Fuji apples would also work.

Ingredients

1/4 cup apple cider

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

2 cups sliced McIntosh apples

1/4 cup maple syrup

6 (2-ounce) slices ciabatta bread

3 ounces Gruyère cheese, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg

1 large egg white

4 teaspoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

Nutritional Information

Calories 373

Fat 14.3g

Satfat 5.9g

Monofat 6.1g

Polyfat 1.5g

Protein 12.8g

Carbohydrate 51.3g

Fiber 2.4g

Cholesterol 57mg

Iron 2.4mg

Sodium 607mg

Calcium 205mg

Calories 373

Fat 14.3g

Satfat 5.9g

Monofat 6.1g

Polyfat 1.5g

Protein 12.8g

Carbohydrate 51.3g

Fiber 2.4g

Cholesterol 57mg

Iron 2.4mg

Sodium 607mg

Calcium 205mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Combine cider and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the cider mixture, apples, and syrup to pan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; cook 3 minutes or until apples begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Set aside, and keep warm.

Step 2

Cut a horizontal slit through bottom crust of each bread slice to form a pocket; stuff 1/2 ounce cheese evenly into each pocket. Combine fat-free milk, buttermilk, and next 5 ingredients (through egg white) in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Working with 1 stuffed bread slice at a time, place bread slice into milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides.

Step 3

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in pan. Add 3 coated bread slices to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons butter and remaining 3 coated bread slices.

Step 4

Place 1 French toast slice onto each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons pecans.

BrendaLRGale's Review

Interesting...my hubby loved it! My tastebuds were a little confused, but glad I tried it, all the same! I used Rome apples and sugar-free maple syrup. Not much food for 10 pts, but it was fun to try something different.

contentedgirl's Review

I thought that this recipe was wonderful! Everything seemed to work well together - the apples and shallots with the maple syrup and apple cider made such a delicious, not too sweet syrup (although my husband, who loves maple syrup, added more maple syrup on top of it). I made this for my sister and her husband while they were visiting us, and they thought it was fabulous. In fact, I had to make it again the next time they visited since it was such a hit. I loved the little bit of Gruyere cheese tucked into the ciabatta bread - subtle yet a nice hint of nutty cheese to contrast with the syrup. Don't forget the toasted pecans on top - they just round it all out. This morning was my third time making it & I'll definitely make it again!

JessicaLuu's Review

This was yummy. It wasn't too sweet like most french toast, and I thought it worked for all three meals. I didn't think it was too savory; the shallots were very subtle. As to what Vailmorgan said I think she used apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider. There is no vinegar in this recipe.

Lakefam's Review

This recipe was FANTASTIC. My daughter-in-law made it for brunch and it was a big hit with everyone. I liked it because it wasn't overly sweet. The cider sauce is delicious...I didn't use any extra maple syrup. Two small changes she made to the recipe: Italian bread instead of ciabatta and Granny Smith apples instead of Macintosh. Truly fabulous!

Vailmorgan's Review

I thought this sounded delicious. It just didn't work for my husband and I though. I made it for breakfast and maybe that was the problem. It was a little too savory for us. We did not like the taste of shallots & vinegar with the sweetness of the apples and maple syrup. I may try this again without using the shallots and vinegar.